Chapter 1119 – In the Nine Provinces and Four Seas, I Want a Hundred Percent (18)
Although Qin Gong served Jiang Pengji as his lord, his heart still leaned towards his former master, Xu Fei.
Now that his old master was in trouble, how could Qin Gong just sit tight and drag his feet?
He wished he could sprout a pair of wings and fly to Xu Fei’s side.
Yang Si furrowed his brows and asked, “Qin Cavalry Officer, are you determined to leave behind this army of over ten thousand and go off on your own to fight alone?”
Qin Gong fell silent for a moment, uncertain how to respond.
Even if he hurried to Shanweng City, his body was nearing its limits; what significance would that bring besides handing a head over to the enemy?
If he didn’t act, would he just stand by and watch Shanweng City fall, his old master perish at the hands of others?
He just couldn’t!
Yang Si’s eyes narrowed slightly, a calm gaze brewing something profound, something that flashed away just as quickly, leaving no one able to catch it.
When the time felt right, Yang Si smiled lightly, casually speaking up.
“I have a plan that might solve our immediate dilemma.”
Qin Gong hurriedly replied, “Military Adviser, please share! If you can resolve our current crisis, you shall be my benefactor.”
Yang Si couldn’t help but tease Qin Gong, the little guy’s eyes were practically about to turn red from anxiety.
“This plan is rather simple,” Yang Si chuckled, “Where it’s false, make it real; where it’s real, make it false. We only have ten thousand vanguards, but Xu Pei’s scouts likely cannot cover the entire northern region of Dongqing. Instead, we should spread false information, concoct rumors, making them doubt that our vanguard is merely bait to attract their attention, while the real main force takes a different route, splitting into three paths for a surprise attack on Zhejun.”
Qin Gong listened intently, his eyes growing brighter with each word.
“The Military Adviser’s meaning is to force them to redirect front-line troops for defense, thereby relieving pressure on Shanweng City? The resources inside Shanweng City are still quite sufficient, and with the rugged terrain as an advantage, breaching the city won’t be easy. If our army quickens its pace, we might just make it before Shanweng City falls?”
Yang Si tucked his hands into his sleeves, smiling lightly, “Precisely.”
This was indeed a good plan, but as he thought of another matter, Qin Gong’s smile gradually faded.
He furrowed his brows and said, “The Military Adviser’s plan is solid, but Xu Pei’s strategist Han Yu is no easy opponent. Besides him, there’s also that Wu Wei hailing from Chenzhou. Your plan is likely to be seen through by these two—”
Yang Si’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Qin Cavalry Officer, to my knowledge, Han Wenbin is not in Hu Jun at this time,” Yang Si said, “And what about this Wu Wei?”
Qin Gong puzzled, “The Military Adviser means that Wu Wei? I’ve heard that this person often associates closely with Han Yu; together, they are quite a formidable duo.”
Qin Gong’s family had already suffered losses at the hands of the other side.
However, in recent months, there hadn’t been any news of “Wu Wei” from the frontlines. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
Yang Si awkwardly added, “If what you’re referring to as Wu Wei means sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty, that’s just the nickname I gave myself.”
Qin Gong: “…”
A couple of years back, in order to solidify the alliance between Xu Pei and his own lord, Yang Si had cleverly taken advantage of their alliance to offer Xu Pei several ideas that would enhance their partnership, thus demonstrating their sincerity in the alliance. He also used this opportunity to gather detailed information about Zhezhou and Huzhou.
Yang Si didn’t want his lord to misunderstand him, so while staying within Xu Pei’s territory, he often had people refer to him by his alias.
Yep, he had dubbed himself “Wu Wei”—
Sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, salty!
Definitely a foodie-inspired nickname.
He didn’t like those highbrow poetic titles; he actually favored the more down-to-earth “Wu Wei.”
Qin Gong’s eyelids twitched, “So the Military Adviser is ‘Wu Wei’?”
For some reason, a name that usually pleased Yang Si now felt somewhat embarrassing.
“Yes.”
Receiving confirmation, Qin Gong’s spirits soared.
“Let’s do as the Military Adviser suggests!”
Being “Wu Wei,” this truth filled him with an inexplicable confidence, easing his heart.
It wasn’t realistic to shorten the six-day journey, but with some hustle, they could certainly cut down by two or three days.
This ensured both speed and the fighting capacity of the soldiers.
Shanweng City was in dire straits, with enemy forces relentlessly attacking day and night; Xu Fei’s soldiers were overwhelmed just trying to keep up.
As the days passed, the once sturdy city walls became battered and dented, showing obvious signs of damage.
Every assault, whether from attackers or defenders, came with a heavy toll.
When the battle drums ceased, both sides left behind numerous corpses, and the acrid stench of blood hung unendingly in the air.
Xu Fei was nearly counting the days on his fingers, mentally tormented; within just a few days, his already thinning hair turned streaky gray.
“Hasn’t the reinforcements arrived yet?”
He had to ask this every day, sometimes repeating the question dozens of times, each time receiving the same disappointing answer.
Not yet—
Xu Fei’s nerves were tight, and his emotions grew more uncontrollable.
Because he was busy with defense, he hadn’t even noticed Xu Pei’s forces had significantly eased their attacks in recent days.
This easing was only relative; the fall of Shanweng City was a foregone conclusion; the difference was merely a matter of days earlier or later.
Little did he know, on Xu Pei’s side, the rumors Yang Si stirred up had caused quite a frenzy, leaving people uncertain for the moment.
“The secret envoy brought back news that Liu Xi’s forces, with over ten thousand vanguards as bait, are covertly splitting into three paths to strike at Zhejun—if this news is accurate, perhaps the lord should hold off on attacking for now and first stabilize Zhejun? Xu Fei is already stretched thin and shouldn’t take unnecessary risks.”
There were many voices like this, but others were different.
Cheng Xun said, “We can’t blindly trust the secret envoy’s news; there haven’t been any scouts returning with signs of Liu Xi splitting their forces for an ambush—”
Colleagues retorted, “If it’s an ambush, how could it be easily spotted by scouts? What’s a surprise attack? It’s all about catching them off guard, striking when they’re unprepared.”
Cheng Xun frowned, a hint of disdain in his eyes as he questioned, “If it’s a surprise attack, then how did the secret envoy receive this information?”
If the secret envoy could acquire this intel, it made no sense for the scouts on the front lines to miss any signs of troop movement.
His colleague fell silent.
Compared to Cheng Xun’s aggressive stance, the others in the tent leaned toward being conservative.
Not seeking to achieve merit, but to avoid blame—being cautious in action was never wrong.
The scouts operated quite visibly, targeting large areas; it was easy for the enemy to evade them.
The secret envoy, however, disguised as common people, blended into various places, making them hard to detect by the enemy.
Though the two sets of information were inconsistent, it didn’t mean that the enemy hadn’t split their forces.
After an intense debate, Cheng Xun and the others had to yield a bit, opting for the more cautious plan.
To withdraw some troops for assistance while allowing the assault on Shanweng City to continue!
This played directly into Yang Si’s calculations.
Until—
Once Han Yu finished his business in Zhejun, he hurried to the front lines in Hu Jun, only to be taken aback when he discovered the troops were retreating.
How could Xu Pei’s forces crush Xu Fei only to be pushed back?
Upon questioning, Han Yu was furious to the point his hair stood on end.
Who let Xu Pei go after Xu Fei?
If they really took out Xu Fei, not only would they be putting themselves in financial debt to Liu Xi, but they would also be dealing with a hidden danger.
Once they attacked, they had to strike; who allowed Xu Pei to recall some of his forces back to assist Zhejun?
Though the three routes sounded intimidating, to conduct a stealthy raid without a sound, each path could only field two to three thousand men at most.
Combined, that wasn’t even ten thousand—could this expansive Zhejun really be penetrated by them?
It felt just like Yang Si’s smokescreen.
Who in their right mind would take a bite out of such an obvious hook?
